


The Duchess and the Date

by AnonymousElement



Series: Metall/u/rgy [55]
Category: Metall/u/rgy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:02:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousElement/pseuds/AnonymousElement
Relationships: Electrum/Iridosmine (Metall/u/rgy), Niello/Shakudō (Metall/u/rgy)
Series: Metall/u/rgy [55]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/354770
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

"Electrum, wait!" Iridosmine called out, her voice echoing down the school hallway. 

"Hey, Electrum!" 

" **Electrum!** " 

Electrum stopped in her tracks, turning on her heel to face her now slightly out of breath classmate with what she hoped was a sufficiently annoyed expression. Iridosmine closed the gap between them as quickly as she could without dropping all of her books on the floor. 

"Can I help you?" Electrum asked as curtly as she could muster. "Or are you just yelling my name because you like the way it sounds?" 

"Um," Iridosmine paused, suddenly growing hesitant. "I don't know if you heard, but a new Farin movie just came out, and-" 

"Farin: The Crimson Duchess?! Have you seen it?"

When she turned her eyes back up towards Electrum, it was as if someone has replaced her crush with an entirely new person. The once-haughty girl now stared back at her intently, her eyes sparkling with unbridled passion. 

"Well, I-"

"I've already seen it seven times myself," Electrum bragged, bringing a hand to her chest in fond remembrance of each and every one of the events. 

"Oh," said Iridosmine, deflated. "Then you probably won't want to see it again." 

"What are you talking about?" Electrum scoffed. "Of course I'll see it again." 

Iridosmine was more than a little surprised. "With," she managed to say, pointing at herself. "With me?" 

"You're the one who was asking, weren't you?" Electrum replied, averting Iridosmine's gaze and looking off to the side in hastily feigned impatience. That her voice took on a bit of its former edge still wasn't enough to conceal her true enthusiasm. 

"Yes! I did!" Iridosmine agreed. "I did ask!" 

"Fine, I'll go. If you insist. But you'd better not try anything." 

"Try anything...?" 

"Why don't we go...hmm, does this Saturday work for you?" 

"Saturday!" Iridosmine repeated without so much as a thought to what her own schedule might hold. "Right!" 

"We'll be around to pick you up at twelve, ok? I still have your address from when we...you know. Anyway, noon. Don't forget!" Electrum turned away to leave. "I'll...see you on Saturday, Iridosmine." 

"Saturday..." Iridosmine murmured again as Electrum walked off, leaving her standing with a dazed expression on her face. If it wasn't already, Saturday would forever be her new favorite day of the week. 

* * *

Niello sat across from Shakudō in the passenger seat of the car, Electrum and her school friend Iridosmine tucked away comfortably in the back. This was not how she was expecting to spend her weekend. Electrum and her friend were on their way to see a movie together, and Shakudō, who regularly acted as the family's chauffeur, had been sent to do some shopping for Gold. Upon Shakudō's unexpected request and Silver's gentle insistence after the fact, Niello had joined the group on their excursion. 

The two adult women were, as per Gold's suggestion, dressed casually, an alien concept for Shakudō as far as Niello could tell. Niello wasn't used to seeing Shakudō out of her uniform, or not in one of her kimonos. But, then again, Niello wasn't used to seeing Shakudō outside of work, and if there was one thing Shakudō took seriously at all times, it was her work. For today's outing she had traded in her tailcoat and white gloves for a decidedly more casual outfit: a simple sweater and jeans. Before this Niello wouldn't have guessed she even owned any clothes like that. In fact, if she didn't know any better she might've mistaken her for an ordinary woman out running errands and not the hardened servant she was. 

Niello, for her part, had dressed in the same way she usually tended to when she went out. Swapping out her tie for a loosely worn silk shirt that was tucked neatly into a pair of slacks and completing the outfit with a matching blazer, Niello looked like she could have just stepped off the set of a TV show, not achieving as inconspicuous a look as Shakudō had but one that was assuredly her own nonetheless. 

Soon Shakudō pulled up out outside of the theater. Stepping out of the car, she opened the door for Electrum and Iridosmine, ever maintaining her role if not her attire. Quickly thanking her, Electrum hurried off with her companion in tow, a look of giddy determination on her face Niello had seen her wear many times before. 

"Come on, or we'll miss the opening trailers!" Electrum could be heard urging. 

"Well," Niello asked, joining Shakudō outside of the car with her hands in her pockets. "Where does that leave us? Off to have some fun of our own?" 

"You're not getting off the hook that easily," Shakudō answered, ignoring Niello's accidental innuendo. "We're going shopping." 

* * *

After a busy hour and a half of walking, chatting and browsing, Niello and Shakudō found themselves seated at a table enjoying a late lunch together. Shakudō had never realized how easy Niello was to talk to before now, even with her bad habit of speaking without thinking things through first. 

"You know," began Niello casually, waggling a fry in Shakudō's direction, "it must look like we're on a date." 

Shakudō's eyes narrowed, and she responded by wordlessly reaching out to pluck the fry from Niello's hand, flicking it back at her in retaliation for proving her theory correct. 

"Hey!" Niello replied playfully, dodging the projectile and laughing. However, during the brief silence that settled in afterwards Shakudō couldn't help but think about Niello's observation. She was right. It probably did look like a date. No, more than just looking like one, it _felt_ like a date. For all her quirks Niello was behaving like a perfect gentlewoman. 

"Say, Shakudō..." 

"Ah, look," the woman in question pointed out, bringing them back to reality before Niello could say anything further. "There's Electrum. They must have just finished the movie." 

Sure enough, across the plaza walked Electrum and Iridosmine. Even from a distance it wasn't hard to tell how worked up Electrum was from her repeat viewing. She gestured animatedly as she raved about the film. Iridosmine merely kept pace alongside her with a dreamy expression on her face, completely enthralled by Electrum's inaudible barrage of exposition. 

Pushing in her chair, Niello was first to her feet. "I'll go get them," she offered with a quick smile, leaving Shakudō alone with her thoughts. She was enjoying herself more than she had anticipated. Is this what Gold had planned to happen when she had her invite Niello along? 

"Um, excuse me?" 

Shakudō looked up from her salad to see two young women standing before her. Of the two one was more nervous, standing behind her more outwardly confident friend. Niello had only been gone for a matter of minutes, but apparently it had been long enough for them to notice her sitting there and mistake her for being on her own. 

"Yes?" Shakudō asked. 

"Me and my friend were wondering, well, if you were free right now? We know this great place and-" 

"Sorry, ladies. I'm afraid she's taken." 

Shakudō turned her head towards the voice. Niello had returned along with Electrum and Iridosmine in her wake, interrupting the fledgling attempt at flirtation she had walked back in on. Both Electrum and Iridosmine were still too wrapped up in their one-sided conversation to realize what was going on around them. 

"Sorry about that, bye!" the girl said, hastily guiding her friend away by the shoulder and retreating with a conciliatory smile. 

Shakudō watched them go with mild surprise before turning back to where Niello was standing. Seeing Niello in that moment, with Electrum and Iridosmine behind her, she was struck with a peculiar thought. If before they looked like they were on a date, now they must look like they were a family. 

For the entire drive home, Shakudō was quieter than usual, even after Niello pointed out that she accidentally missed a turn. After dropping Iridosmine off and leaving Electrum to happily replay the events of the day in her head, Shakudō took the opportunity to shoot Niello a quick glance. Niello too sat with an unworried smile on her face, and somehow this only vexed Shakudō further. 

Upon their return home Shakudō promptly exited the garage, poised and ready to resume her normal routine. Gold and the rest of the family would be waiting for her, just as Silver would be for Niello. Instead she found herself face to face with Niello once more. 

"Hello," she greeted perhaps more coldly than she had intended, unsure how to address her after the events of the day.

"That was fun," said Niello, unfazed by her tone. "Next time I'll drive, ok?" 

With a wave, Niello nonchalantly departed, leaving Shakudō staring at her back. 

Wait, next time?


	2. Epilogue

Shakudō was back where she belonged. Back in the manor, back in her uniform, and back in the company of Gold. She poured a cup of tea without spilling a drop and handed the saucer to her seated mistress, retreating back a step to stand dutifully at attention. Gold sipped the tea daintily, watching Shakudō out of the corners of her eyes. 

"So?" Gold finally asked, placing the cup down expectantly. 

"Yes, ma'am?" 

Gold smiled knowingly.

"How was it?" 

"How was what?" 

Gold rolled her eyes theatrically and crossed her legs, leaning forward in her chair with her hand inquisitively propped under her chin. 

"Your day out, darling. I am asking how your day was." 

"My day?"

"Precisely." 

"Well...Miss Electrum seemed to enjoy herself very much." 

"I am sure she did. But I was asking about _you_." 

Shakudō stifled a cough and stirred stiffly under Gold's sudden scrutiny. 

"I suppose I enjoyed myself too," she admitted as if she was confessing to a lapse in her own judgement. Gold sat back, satisfied. 

"Good. Although I rather expected more from our Niello." 

"Ma'am?" 

"Speaking of," Gold said, reaching down to jot a few brief lines on a piece of paper, then folded the note and slipped it into an envelope. "I need this message delivered to my lovely wife right away. It is terribly urgent, I am afraid. Could you see that Niello receives it?" 

"...ma'am," Shakudō acknowledged her request, accepting the letter and departing from the room with a quick bow. 

"Sigh," Gold sighed melodically, leaning back in her chair. "They grow up so fast."


End file.
